How Gabrielle Union Rose to Fame and Earned Her Multimillion Dollar Net Worth
You might remember Gabrielle Union leading the charge in Bring It On, recognize her as a judge in the latest season of America's Got Talent, or follow her on Instagram to keep up with her and her adorable daughter Kaavia James. No matter where you're seeing her, the point is that Gabrielle Union is everywhere.
The 46-year-old actress and model rose to fame in the early 2000s, with her breakout role as Isis in Bring It On. Since then, she has starred in a number of hit films and television shows like Bad Boys II, Being Mary Jane, L.A.'s Finest, and America's Got Talent. As a result, her net worth in 2019 alone sits at a cool $20 million, and that doesn't even cover how much her husband, former NBA star Dwyane Wade, earns every year.
Here's how Gabrielle Union rose to fame and spends her hard-earned cash:
1. She hit the books in school, and it paid off.
Uni0n has a drive for success that stems from her upbringing in Omaha, Nebraska. When her father moved the family to Pleasanton, Nebraska, Union's mother made sure to keep 8-year-old Union and her sisters educated about black history and culture, especially given that Union was the only black student in her new class. Instead of letting that discourage her, the future actress was determined to succeed.
"You are the only black person in your whole class. You're gonna have to prove to them every day that you're just as smart, if not smarter. Just as good, if not better. Just as fast, if not faster," Union's father told her, according to Entertainment Weekly. "So not only am I trying to beat all my classmates, I'm trying to prove to my dad that I'm living up to his expectations," she said.
On top of being a successful athlete, Union graduated Foothill High with honors, making the dean's list. In 1992, she attended the University of Nebraska, where she played soccer. After one semester, Union transferred to Cuesta College. For her sophomore year, she transferred again to UCLA to study sociology and graduated with honors in 1996.
To this day, Union attributes her success to education. "You have to get a college degree just to put a toe in the door, she said. If you want to be competitive in this country, you need a formal education. I don't care what you have to do, I worked to get through school."
2. She acted in sitcoms throughout college.
In 1993, Union was a sophomore and made her acting debut on the side. She landed an uncredited role in a 1993 episode of Family Matters as a "mall girl" and made small appearances in other sitcoms.
After transferring to UCLA, Union picked up an internship as a temporary office worker at a modeling agency to fulfill class credits. Clients repeatedly thought the star was a model, so after she graduated with honors in 1996, Union signed with an agency and landed some pretty big gigs including Teen magazine.
Union continued acting and appeared in an episode of Moesha, as well as a role in Saved by the Bell: The New Class in 1996. From there, she was cast in her first major film roles: She's All That and 10 Things I Hate about You.
Union's acting career took off in the 2000s; she went on to star in popular films and television series like Bring It On (2000), Bad Boys II (2003), Daddys Little Girls (2007), Being Mary Jane (2013), L.A.s Finest (2019), and more.
3. She's also a producer and entrepreneur.
While Gabrielle Union starred in Spectrum's L.A.'s Finest, the actress helped produce the show as well. She also co-produced Being Mary Jane, With This Ring (2015), and Almost Christmas (2016).
Speaking of television series, Union joined NBC's America's Got Talent as a judge for season 14. It's never been disclosed exactly how much the judges are paid, but Cheat Sheet reports that Mel B earned $3 million as a judge last year and Howie Mandel earns $70,000 per episode. It's worth noting that Union's Golden Buzzer pick Kodi Lee went on to win it all this season.
In 2017, the talented actress started her own haircare line called Flawless. "Through my time in Hollywood, I have been in a thousand different situations where the people who work in glam just had no idea how to deal with textured hair," Union told Allure in 2017. "I would get on set and theyd be like, Why doesnt your hair look like it did in the picture?"
"Meanwhile I just showed up like I was told to, with clean hair fresh from the shower. But the stylists on set had no idea how to do my hair from start to finish," she continued. "So, theyd do things like spray an alcohol-based product in my hair before flat-ironing it. I became this weird guinea pig where they would try to make it work with whatever products they had."
Union decided to create her own products that worked with her hair type and texture. The Flawless line includes masks, styling creams, shampoos, and conditioners that range between $15 and $30.
4. She wrote a memoir and is an activist against sexual assault.
Like many women who have come forward as part of the #MeToo movement, Union has opened up about being sexually assaulted when she was 19. Union was working at Payless when an armed robber, who was an employee of the store and previously convicted of rape, assaulted her at gun point. She ultimately ended up suing Payless and won a settlement, according to a tweet from April 2018.
I was raped at 19, she tweeted. He rapes another woman B4 he turns himself in. He took a plea deal & got 33 years. I sued Payless Shoe Source 4 $$$ as they knew the rapist was a former employee & didnt warn any1. I received a settlement. NO ONE has EVER accused me of using my rape as a cash grab.
I was raped at 19. He rapes another woman B4 he turns himself in. He took a plea deal & got 33yrs. I sued Payless Shoe Source 4 $$ as they knew the rapist was a former employee & didnt warn any1. I received a settlement. NO ONE has EVER accused me of using my rape as a cash grab
Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) April 27, 2018
Union has gone to therapy to work through her trauma and has become an advocate for other women who were sexually assaulted.
"Every time I talk about being raped, someone will come up to me in a bathroom or an amusement park and say: 'Me too,'" Union told Glamour in 2017. "In that instant I am completely connected. I know everything and nothing all at once. What we are able to share is a sense of community of survivors and we are just doing our best, but that we put one foot in front of the other. There's a light at the end of the tunnel and that's the importance of sharing the stories when you're ready."
In 2017, Union released a memoir called We're Going to Need More Wine that goes deeper into her experience with sexual assault and "Black women in the world and Hollywood."
5. She lives in California with her family.
Today, Union lives in a gorgeous 8,650-square-foot mansion in San Fernando Valley, California, with her husband Dwyane Wade and daughter Kaavia James. The $6 million Mediterranean-style home features five bedrooms, nine bathrooms, an elevator, and a three-story staircase.
It's equipped with a stunning infinity pool and spa, an outdoor fire pit, a wine cellar, a bar, and a movie theater. So, yes, the family is living the luxe life, with Union and Wade's combined net worth of $140 million.
A post shared by Gabrielle Union-Wade (@gabunion) on Jul 23, 2019 at 2:18pm PDT
Like what you just read? Youll love our magazine! Go here to subscribe. Dont miss a thing by downloading Apple News here and following Prevention. Oh, and were on Instagram too.
You Might Also Like
